1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for cleaning sensitive surfaces which wets, wipes and cleans optical glasses.
2. The Prior Art
Various cleaning agents are used for optical glasses, in particular for lenses of spectacles. These known agents, however, have several drawbacks. This is particularly true when such lenses have to be cleaned while the wearer is travelling, at work, or while pursuing some leisure time activity. It has been found that the most useful method for cleaning glasses utilizes a cleaning liquid for loosening or detaching the impurities on the lenses, and subsequently wiping off such impurities with a cleaning cloth. These components are generally offered in the form of a spray bottle for the liquid and a cleaning cloth, which are stored in a pouch-like case.
These so-called cleaning sets for glasses can be comfortably carried in bags or suitcases; however, their efficiency is limited when they are used in the known manner. Such drawbacks include, on the one hand, applying the cleaning liquid to the lenses only because a relatively large portion of the liquid is lost as it is being sprayed on. The liquid deposits in all sorts of places, for example, on garments or table tops. This can be practically avoided only if the cleaning liquid is first applied to the cleaning cloth, or to an additional cloth for the wet treatment, with which the impurities are then to be loosened and detached. This, on the other hand, cannot properly work particularly if the surfaces to be cleaned are contaminated by impurities that are difficult to remove, for example, fingerprints, skin perspiration, smoke deposits, or even cosmetics. Tests have shown that the impurities are in fact loosened, but only gradually so, and the cleaning liquid is immediately absorbed into the cleaning cloth. These impurities as a result are additionally smeared over the surface. Consequently, the surfaces have to be cleaned again mechanically under the influence of a residual amount of moisture in the cleaning cloth.
Another drawback of conventional cleaning cloths is that the cleaning process has to be carried out with the help of the finger tips. The surfaces of the lenses cannot be reached directly up to the frame of the glasses. Contrary to the desired result, dirt is smeared into these zones. Also, the cleaning cloth itself is contaminated by the fingers, so that the cloth can no longer function properly after a few cleaning operations.